4 rules of the first woman, ran the Boston Marathon
Sport And Fitness News / / December 19, 2019
First time in Boston Marathon was held in Patriot Day in 1897, and since then every third Monday in April is considered the start of the day. Officially, women were not allowed to participate in the Boston Marathon until 1972. Robert "Bobby" Gibb in 1966 was recognized as the first woman to take part in this race. A year later, Katherine Switzer was the first woman that started with its own cross-country number. She finished in spite of the scandalous incident in which Jock Semple tried to rip off her room and pushed out of participation in the race.
It is about the rules of Katherine Switzer and will be discussed in this article.
When in 1967, Katherine Switzer took her place at the start of the Boston Marathon in a stretched gray sweater. She was going to make history: Catherine was the first female participant of the marathon, which started officially with its own starting number. The year before Robert Gibb took part in this race, but she did not have her start number, that is, in fact, it just ran next to the other participants.
While it was believed that the woman is physically unable to overcome a marathon - 42 kilometers and 195 meters, or 26.2 miles - Catherine hard to prepare for this race under the guidance of his coach Arnie Briggs.
In the second year of university Switzer decided to prove that this theory is wrong. During the race she ran next to her coach and boyfriend Briggs Thomas Miller, and then Jock Sampler, a spokesman for the Boston Marathon, ran to her and tried to rip off her starting number. He wanted to force her to leave the race due to the fact that she was a woman. Briggs began to shout to the representative of that Member State, he left alone, and Miller decided to act more forcefully and simply pushed Sampler from Katherine.
Someone from the crowd told her never to repeat the like. After this incident, shaken Switzer finished and their example proved that women can achieve great results not only in running, but also in women's sports in general. Due to its unwillingness to maintain the status quo and maintain fictitious restrictions Katherine issued to several important life lessons.
Violation of the rules can lead to revolutionary results
Switzer and Briggs have carefully studied the rules of participation in the marathon and did not find any ban on women's participation in the race. Moreover, it did not have any points, which would give any advantages depending on gender. Switzer denies that tried to hide until the start of what is a woman, and this stretched tracksuit was a result of bad weather the day of launch, and its signature - K. V. Switzer - always has been.
she also knew that still attract attention because she was the first woman with the official starting number in the history of the Boston Marathon. But she did not expect that her participation in the race will be an international event and will take a political color.
Despite the fact that Catherine does not violate the rules of participation in the marathon, it will still become a pariah. After Switzer participate in the race of 1967 Boston Marathon remained exclusively male competition the next four years. In 1972, women were officially allowed to participate in the Boston Marathon. Rules of admission and the minimum qualifying time was the same as that of men: 3 hours 30 minutes. During the years 1976-1977 the number of participants has almost doubled, rising from 78 to 141.
You will be criticized - ignore
After a time of running for 4 hours and 20 minutes Switzer entered a period of polarization, which lasted several years. She received letters of hatred and negative publicity. One journalist wrote that he hates women-runners even more than women who play golf. All this time, Katherine tried to disconnect from this flow of hatred. She continued to work with the fans ignored the letters and letters of hatred. But it is especially surprising because this evil letters from women than from men.
Sometimes the people who would benefit from the changes are the biggest opponents of these changes. In this situation, many women would prefer to stick with the devil they know than a stranger to them demon. They were afraid. Subsequently, some of the most vocal critics Katherine became her friends.
Negative consequences can turn into opportunities
Sampler Switzer disqualified from participating in the race, then it was expelled from the Union of amateur athletes (Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU). Membership in this alliance are expected to participate in the races, and the exclusion from it is not allowed Switzer to participate in some events. And then Switzer decided to take matters into their own hands and resolve this issue in their own way, making thus running more accessible to women.
This can be compared with excommunication from the Catholic Church. It was the worst thing that could happen to an athlete, but at the moment when it excluded Catherine just sent everyone away.
Katherine Switzer of the Amateur Athletic UnionFuck you! Why do I organization that manages this to me ?!
Switzer continued competition, returning to the Boston Marathon in 1970 and winning the New York Marathon in 1974. She suggested the idea of organizing a cross-country event of Avon, where she began working in 1977 to create and run Avon International Running Circuit. The latter eventually held 400 races in 27 countries, which were attended by more than one million women. Catherine efforts helped to demonstrate that there was enough international representation in order to make the female part of the Olympic Games marathon. It was Katherine Switzer was the important part that allowed this to happen in 1984.
Share your story, and new horizons will be opened in front of you
Switzer has been a motivational speaker at The Day after the Boston Marathon. She told her story to local Rotary Clubs and school teams. Today it is a sought-after speaker, and another in 2007 published his memoirs Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports. Also, over a fairly long period, it was telejournalist each year covered the Boston Marathon, including the tragic 2013th. Then, at the finish of two explosions that killed three people and injured more than 280 people. Despite this, 2014 has collected as many wanting to try their hand at this race.
Runners run for freedom. That is the reason for which they are running. And anyone who can run, be sure to come back here next year. Because they are, these runners, the most resolute, persistent and courageous people!
Switzer continues its activity: it launched a clothing line, and has organized a series of new measures, which are named in honor of her start number on the first Boston Marathon - 261. Catherine calls this movement "261", it helps women to start running. The main concept is based on the stories of the women who came to her and said that her own story became the inspiration for them. The first event of "261" in March 2015 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In 2016 it is scheduled for April 10. The goal is not the competition itself, and the creation of like-minded community that would help women assert their rights and take an active part in running events.
What we take for granted in some countries is still banned or is very undesirable. For example, in Saudi Arabia at the 2008 Olympics, it was not the women's team. In 2012, their representatives said that women will participate in the Olympic Games in London. It was only in 2013 in the same country for the first time allowed women riding bikes exclusively in parks and other recreational areas.